NHL 2013-14 Thread

Off and running. In Colorado a bit surprised that the Roy hardass approach is working, but it makes sense: the coach gives a ****, the players give a ****. Also, they've amassed some talent among the forwards and like him or not, the HC knows how to hire the right goalie coach. Big turnaround for the Avs.
Never thought I'd back a coach up for the antics, but Roy was right to get pissed night 1, in fact he held back. If I'd been HC, and Lovejoy had thrown that knee at my #1 draft pick, I'd have sent Borderleau into the Ducks locker room to sort it out.

Not happy with how our coach is handling young players and continually benching the same players when other players are at fault for breakdowns and opposition scoring chances.

i can see our forfeited #1 pick being a lottery pick. nice work Lou.

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Yeah not a lot of direction out of NJ right now. Big transitional period. They need to figure out what route they want to take. Brodeur was crucial to the 90s-2013 Devils strategy. Time to look forward for them, much like the Chargers.

I'd start an Olympic Hockey Thread, but it would be redundant with only a few of us posting here.

So anyway, question of the week (so far):
Does the Stamkos tib fracture affect the outcome for Canada?
The Canadians among our coaching staff in northern CO were freaking yesterday. Me, I think the Canadians are deep enough to handle it.
Bigger problem is getting the mgmt to select a team ideal of the wider ice. US has same issue + we might not have depth at skill players on open ice. Move it up the boards ain't going to work in this tourney. But I doubt USA Hockey learned that lesson in Torino.

Yzerman and Babcock are pretty smart FCB. There is an interesting take in a Gretzky biography about how the Hosers screwed the pooch in the Nagano (Hasek) Olympics. Not using the whole ice and playing too defensively was exactly the point made.

Stamkos is a big loss for sure. They will compensate, but not totally correct that problem.

Yzerman and Babcock are pretty smart FCB. There is an interesting take in a Gretzky biography about how the Hosers screwed the pooch in the Nagano (Hasek) Olympics. Not using the whole ice and playing too defensively was exactly the point made.

Stamkos is a big loss for sure. They will compensate, but not totally correct that problem.

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I'm not so sure Sandy. Smart Canadian hockey players sometimes miss the obvious on international ice. You have an intellectual block there, born during the Summit Series. Unfortunately, we tied our wagons to yours and can't overcome it either. If you can find me one article in Canada that modifies the usual suspects on the final roster, geared toward the wider ice, I might think about violating internet rule #1. But until I see a Canadian (or American for that matter) national professional team excel on big ice in the Olympics/World Cup, I'll stick to my guns: North American managers cannot adjust to the wider surface while bucking media/cultural/their own assumptions about what makes a good all star team.

Some real good thoughts there FCB. But don't you think in these competitions that the best goaltender wins... (especially with the OT and shootout rules)?

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No more than Richter did during the '96 Canada Cup. You know as well as anyone that a relatively awesome goalie run during a tourney counters everything. But all of the big 6 teams (except maybe the Czechs) have that potential (+the Swiss but you've gotta score a few to win it...). Also, the time and space given by the wide ice helps the snipers. So yes, Hasek was the main reason the Czechs took Nagano, but in Torino many teams found the twine vs the Swedes. The Swedes just scored more. Sample size of 2 though, which makes #3 exciting. It isn't going to be SLC or Vancouver though. Totally different.

I really think the Russians are going to throw absolutely everything into winning this at home. They are the heavy, heavy favorites for me.

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Agree. They were kicking *** at the WCs last year until they hit the vodka. Two key things for them will be 1. Staying away from Olympic Village and other party circuits, 2. Goaltending. You know they'll be flying through the NZ and OZ. Not so sure about their defensive capability though. Home ice will have them at their best you'd hope. This one is a matter of national pride far more than anything else (including Summit Series).

I have the Swedes as a very close 2nd favorite. Lundqvist will be on his **** for this one, and they have guns equal to the Russians.

I spent too long living in France with Swedish ski bums. ******* arrogant cunts can lose to Finland every time and I'd be happy (tangential note, the Swede girls couldn't care less and I had a lot more fun with them).

Varley has his moments. You never know when a Russian goalie is going to come out of the woodwork. Parties during the tourney will be their #1 issue: book it. That schedule is going to wear on everyone involved, and too many social events will reduce the Russians to the quality of the '98 and '06 North American squads. Putin would be smart to re-institute Red Army seclusion for this one, but not sure if the NHL millionaires will tow the line.

Just watched the Red Wings lose at home in a shootout to the Jets. Its another pedestrian start of the season. Last year they had to win 13 or their last 14 just to make the playoffs. Then they come within a game 7 OT goal of beating the eventual Stanley Cup winners. Dropping all of these points early in the season has become quite a trend of late. Hopefully they'll have their shet together later on and make a run at the Cup.

Just watched the Red Wings lose at home in a shootout to the Jets. Its another pedestrian start of the season. Last year they had to win 13 or their last 14 just to make the playoffs. Then they come within a game 7 OT goal of beating the eventual Stanley Cup winners. Dropping all of these points early in the season has become quite a trend of late. Hopefully they'll have their shet together later on and make a run at the Cup.

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Indeed--all the Wings fans in the hockey bar AND on facebook are saying the same thing. Getting fed up. But **** it, y'all had a good run.

"The format will be the same as in Vancouver 2010. The four teams with the best records (the group winners and the second-place team with the best record) advance to the quarter-finals, the remaining eight teams will play a qualification game."

Looks like the inaccurate ranking system IIHF uses has landed the USA in a tough group. They could easily finish 3rd there. They better blow the doors off Kopitar & the rest of the Slovenians.

Canada has landed in the easiest group possible. I've gotta think they come out of that with the 1 or 2 seed and one of the byes. That should make the semis a strong possibility. Inevitably it'll be Canada vs the US in one of the quarters.

It was an ugly time. By 1987, Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov and the boys were invited for a BBQ over at Gretzky's in Brantford. The KGB would only let them go if the coach was there with them. Larionov said that they'd sneak down to the basement to check out the trophies and have a beer when Viktor wasn't watching.

It was an ugly time. By 1987, Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov and the boys were invited for a BBQ over at Gretzky's in Brantford. The KGB would only let them go if the coach was there with them. Larionov said that they'd sneak down to the basement to check out the trophies and have a beer when Viktor wasn't watching.

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That's a good story hadn't heard that one before. That was the best tourney I've seen. KLM line with Fetisov vs Lemiuex/Gretzky/whoever Keenan wanted that particular shift/Bourque/Murphy group.
Great stuff: